Eastern Mediterranean

Israel Israel is located in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is northeast of Egypt.

Israel

Religion: Jewish 75.5% Muslim 16.8% Christian 2.1% Other 5.6% Language: Hebrew (official) Arabic English

Israel Below is an image of Jerusalem that shows the Dome of the Rock (mosque) in the top right, the Russian Orthodox Church in the bottom left, and the Jewish Mount of Olives Graveyard in the bottom right.

Jerusalem, Israel

Tel Aviv-Jaffa Capital of Israel.

Israel Palestinians still claim this as their homeland.

About the Cartoon... Since 1948 Zionist Jews have ethnically cleansed millions of Palestinians from their land practically erasing their country from the map.

History By decree on May 14, 1948, (an agreement to partition of Palestine) between the Jews and Arabs, and one later recommended by a special committee of the United Nations in 1947, was the force that formed the official State of Israel.

History This is a map of that suggested land division. The agreement was later summarily rejected by the Arabs, as it conflicted with their long-held historical ties to Palestine.

History On June 5, 1967 Israel instigated a preemptive strike against Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. During this Six-Day War, Israel was successful in conquering the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights.

History As the Jews observed Yom Kippur in October of 1973, the Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a surprise attack against Israel; however the country was successful in resisting the forces. Despite the victory, the public grew angry with Prime Minister Golda Meir, forcing her to resign.

History The next two decades were riddled with violence, as Israel attacked and was in return attacked themselves by various countries in the Arab world. Yitzhak Rabin was elected Prime Minister in 1992, and called for a compromise with Israel's neighbors. The Oslo Accords were signed the following year between Israel and Palestine, as an attempt to extinguish any outstanding status issues between the two sides, and the Palestinian National Authority was granted the right to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

History Negotiations continued into the new millennium between Palestine and Israel. Today the West Bank is partially Israeli occupied, but Israel, in September, 2005, withdrew all Israeli settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip.

History Most recently, the largest social protest in Israel's history took place, on July 14, 2011, as hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied against the continuing rise in the cost of living, as well as the deterioration of public services.

Palestine A wide variety of geographic definitions of Palestine have been used over the centuries, and those definitions have always been emotionally and politically contentious. Many of the historical issues concerning Israelis and Palestinians involve geography and maps. In recent years the fragmented Palestinian Territories are generally located within the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Lebanon Lebanon is also located on the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean. Capital: Beirut

Lebanon Religion:Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri) Christian 39% Other 1.3% note: 17 religious sects recognized Language: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon Images of the two Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut.

History Lebanon finally gained its independence in 1943, but was unfortunately ravaged by a 15-year civil war that thankfully ended in At that war's conclusion, the Lebanese economy had been destroyed, hundreds of thousands were killed, and part of the country was left in ruins. Despite the ending turmoil the Lebanese government and people established a more equitable political system, and began in earnest to rebuild the damaged infrastructure of their country.

History Admittedly, some historic cultural and religious conflicts (rather common in the Middle East) do remain, and the country still struggles with needed reforms. In February of 2005, Lebanon's former Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in a car bomb explosion, subsequently provoking a series of protests in Beirut, known as the Cedar Revolution - whose main goal was the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Following the Cedar Revolution, in the summer of 2006, a group of Hezbollah forces within Lebanon fired rockets at Israeli border towns sparking a war between Israel and Lebanon. Although the war lasted only a few months, the conflict was brutal and bloody leaving over 1,200 citizens dead.

History Conflict with Lebanon continued in 2007 as fighting broke out in Nahr al-Bared, a Palestinian refugee camp, against Lebanese Armed Forces and an Islamist militant organization causing the 40,000 residents of the camp to flee the area. More recently, the national unity government collapsed, pushing Lebanon into a major political crisis.

History Najib Mikati was elected Prime Minister in March of 2011, and the country is moving forward in forming a new government. Today, Lebanon is again finding its rightful place in the world, and the world is paying attention. The historic cities of Beirut and Tripoli, and the remarkable Phoenician history (with its well preserved ruins) have drawn an increasing number of visitors.

Syria Syria is a relatively arid country. The Capital is Damascus.

Syria Religion: Sunni Muslim 74% other Muslim 16% Christian 10% Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo) Language: Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood

Syrian Civil War A period of unrest that began in March The Syrian government is being supported by Russia, Iran, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The Syrian government used chemical warfare against its own citizens. The rebellion still continues today.

Syrian Civil War

Jordan Kingdom located east of Israel and the West Bank. Tourism is highly Important to the economy. Amman is the capital.

Jordan Religion: Sunni Muslim 92% Christian 6% other 2% (several small Shia Muslim) Language: Arabic (official) English widely understood among upper and middle classes

Jordan King Abdullah II – first Arab leader to call for Syria's president to relinquish power in Because of him, Jordan is now participating in the World Trade Organization, the European Free Trade Association and other economic associations.